Queen Lear: Robyn Nevin

There has been a long tradition of men playing women in Shakespeare's plays. But the Melbourne Theatre Company is taking that a step further by casting a woman for King Lear—or rather, Queen Lear. The grand dame of Australian theatre, Robyn Nevin, has described the production as one of the greatest challenges of her career. She has spent the last three months preparing for the role with a strict regime of 'vocal training'.